The Jim Murray Memorial Foundation was established in 1999 by to perpetuate Jim’s memory and his love for and dedication to his extraordinary career in journalism.

The Foundation’s goal is to raise funds throughout the year to provide scholarships for print journalism students. Seven $5,000 scholarships are given annual, with one earmarked for Jim’s alma mater, Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, and one for Columbia University, in honor of Jim’s 1990 Pulitzer Prize.

Initially, the top 15 journalism schools in the nation were invited to participate in the student essay contest, as well as the schools attended by the Foundation’s Board members. In five years, the number of participating schools has grown to twenty-five.

In addition to Trinity College and Columbia University, the following universities have participated in the selection progress:

• Arizona State University

• Ball State University

• California State Univerisity-Northridge

• Indiana University-Bloomington

• Loyola University-New Orleans

• Northwestern University

• Ohio University-Athens

• St. Bonaventure University

• Syracuse University

• University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA)

• University of Florida-Gainesville

• University of Iowa

• University of Kansas

• Univeristy of Maryland-College Park

• University of Minnesota at Twin Cities

• University of Missouri-Columbia

• University of Montana

• University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

• University of Pennsylvania

• University of Southern California (USC)

• University of Texas-Austin

• University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Wake Forest University

Other journalism schools will be considered by special request to the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

To qualify for a Murray scholarship, each student must be a second or third year undergraduate accepted into the university’s School of Journalism. Each student must have at least a “B” Grade Point Average. A n essay of 1,000 words on a selected topic is pre-screened by each Journalism School/Department, then judged by a panel of national writers. The Murray Scholars are recognized each year at the Jim Murray Memorial Golf Classic in Los Angeles .

The Jim Murray Memorial Foundation is the recipient of grants from The McCormick Tribune Foundation, the St. Louis Rams and the NFL Charities. These “Five for Five” Patrons provide one scholarship each year for five years. Other grants received are from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Wasserman Foundation, Bloomingdale’s Fund of the Federated Department Stores Foundation, the LPGA, the USGA, the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation, Bank of America, and an annual sponsorship for the Jim Murray Memorial Golf Classic from the Los Angeles Times, Outback Steakhouse and Carey International, Inc.